Ukari Brooks scored 19 points and Malik Barber scored 18 points and helped ignite a 14-3 run late in the second quarter to lead Monticello past visiting Powhatan 70-62 Friday night.
Monticello trailed 25-24 in the first half before Barber hit a trey with 3:44 to go to give the Mustangs the lead. The two teams traded baskets and then Barber hit two more threes, the second after faking a Powhatan defender out of his sneakers with a nifty behind-the-back dribble. The Indians called timeout, but that didn’t stop the Mustangs’ hot shooting as Airrick Salisbury promptly drilled another triple to give Monticello its largest lead of the half. The Mustangs led 38-28 at the break.
Powhatan opened the third period with a 9-2 run to claw back to within three on two free throws by Joseph Santiago, but was then held scoreless for nearly five minutes as Monticello stretched the lead back to 50-37 when Barber sank two free throws of his own. Powhatan didn’t get closer than eight the rest of the way.
“We played good defense. We had good intensity,” Monticello head coach Gary Spry said. “We played together and we had the confidence to take the open shots. That’s what made that stretch.”
The first half was close most of the way as Monticello emerged from the first quarter with a 17-15 lead. Powhatan went ahead 21-19 at the 5:24 mark on a basket by Joseph Santiago, and the lead changed hands three more times before the Mustangs’ burst that put them ahead for good.
The opening two quarters also featured four technical fouls between the teams–three on the Mustangs and one on the Indians.
“There are three strengths you have to have — physical strength, mental strength and emotional strength,” Spry said. “But at the same time, you can’t back down — you just have to be smart.”
Both teams employed fast-paced, physical styles of play which proved sloppy at times–Monticello turned the ball over 17 times, while Powhatan wasn’t much better with 15 giveaways.
“We played solid — staying in front of them and trying to stay fundamentally sound,” Spry said. “You can’t stop shots from going in, but you can put a hand up to lower the percentages, and if they miss, you do everything you can to secure the rebound.”
Justin Deleone led Powhatan with a game-high 21 points and Santiago added 15 for the Indians. Salisbury was the other Mustang in double figures with 10.
Monticello has a quick turnaround as it travels across the mountain for a game against Spotswood on Saturday night.
